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To identify factors that increase risk for nonadherence to recommended health protective behaviors during pandemics, this study examined the prospective relations of substance use frequency to both adherence to social distancing recommendations and social distancing intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the role of social distancing self-efficacy in these relations. A U.S. community sample of 377 adults completed a prospective online study, including an initial assessment between March 27 and April 5, 2020, and a follow-up assessment one-month later. Results revealed a significant direct relation of baseline substance use frequency to lower adherence to social distancing recommendations one-month later. Results also revealed significant indirect relations of greater substance use frequency to lower levels of both social distancing behaviors and intentions one-month later through lower social distancing self-efficacy. Results highlight the relevance of substance use and social distancing self-efficacy to lower adherence to social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic., Author(s): Kayla M. Scamaldo [sup.1] , Matthew T. Tull [sup.1] , Keith A. Edmonds [sup.1] , Jason P. Rose [sup.1] , Kim L. Gratz [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.267337.4, 0000 [...]

Deliberate self-harm (DSH) is a widespread transdiagnostic health problem with increasing prevalence among adolescences, and young adults. It is therefore essential to effectively chart the epidemiology of DSH, as well as to assess the efficacy of interventions designed to modify this behavior. The aim was to translate and analyze the psychometric properties of the Norwegian versions of two instruments designed to assess DSH: the Deliberate Self-harm Inventory (DSHI) and the Inventory of Statements About Self-Injury (ISAS), as well as to assess the prevalence of DSH within a nonclinical Norwegian adult population. Of the 402 participants who completed a questionnaire packet comprising the DSHI, ISAS, general questions about DSH, and other related measures, 30.6% reported some form of DSH. Those with a history of DSH reported greater difficulties with emotion regulation than those without. Participants with and without a history of DSH did not differ in unrelated constructs, including social desirability. The frequency of specific DSH behaviors was in accordance with previous research, with cutting being the most frequent. The factor structure of DSH functions in the Norwegian ISAS was generally comparable to the factor structure of the English version. Overall, results indicate that: a) the Norwegian versions of the DSHI and ISAS behave as expected and in accordance with prior research in other languages and other populations, and b) both the DSHI and ISAS have high internal consistency and adequate construct, convergent, and discriminant validity, and may be applied to evaluate DSH in adult Norwegian populations., Author(s): Johanna Vigfusdottir [sup.1] , Karl Yngvar Dale [sup.2] , Kim L. Gratz [sup.3] , E. David Klonsky [sup.4] , Egil Jonsbu [sup.1] , Reidun Høidal [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) [...]

Background: Despite the wide‐ranging negative consequences of nonsuicidal self‐injury (NSSI), there are few evidence‐based treatments for NSSI among adolescents and little is known about what treatments that work best for whom. The objective of this study was to investigate moderators (i.e., for whom a specific treatment works) and predictors (i.e., factors associated with treatment outcome independent of treatment type) of treatment outcome in a randomized clinical trial comparing internet‐delivered emotion regulation individual therapy for adolescents (IERITA) plus treatment as usual (TAU) to TAU alone. Methods: Adolescents (N = 166; mean [SD] age = 15.0 [1.2] years) with NSSI disorder were randomized to IERITA plus TAU (n = 84) or TAU‐only (n = 82). Adolescent emotion regulation difficulties, suicidality, NSSI frequency, depressive symptoms, sleep difficulties, global functioning, and age, and parental invalidation, were measured pre‐treatment and investigated as moderators and predictors of treatment outcome (i.e., NSSI frequency during treatment and for 4 weeks post‐treatment). A zero‐inflated negative binomial generalized linear mixed effects regression model was used to estimate the rate of NSSI change as a function of both treatment condition and moderator/predictor. Results: No significant moderators of treatment outcome were found. Parental invalidation was a significant predictor of treatment outcome regardless of treatment condition, such that high levels of parental invalidation pre‐treatment were associated with a less favorable NSSI frequency. Conclusions: We did not find evidence of a differential treatment effect as a function of any of the examined client factors. Future research should investigate moderation in larger samples and with sufficient statistical power to detect moderation effects of smaller magnitude. Results suggest that parental invalidation may have a negative impact on treatment response and highlight the importance of further investigating parental invalidation in the context of NSSI treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Anxiety is a global problem that is readily treatable with psychosocial interventions, though many individuals do not benefit following participation in extant treatment protocols. Accordingly, clarification of process‐related variables that may be leveraged to enhance outcomes appears warranted. Emotion regulation (ER) is a robust correlate of anxiety symptoms and is often targeted in behavioural treatments applied to anxiety‐related problems. Yet, some evidence suggests ER difficulties may be a proxy variable for emotional avoidance (EA). Clarifying the relative influence of ER and EA on anxiety symptom severity may improve specificity in targeting behavioural processes within psychosocial treatments designed to alleviate anxiety‐related suffering. Accordingly, we examined relations of ER and EA to anxiety symptom severity after accounting for anxiety sensitivity and anxiolytic medication use in a community‐based treatment‐seeking sample. Design: A four‐step hierarchical linear regression analysis of cross‐sectional data provided by a community‐based treatment‐seeking sample. Methods: Totally, 120 participants (Mage = 39.18; Female = 58.3%) completed a questionnaire packet upon intake to an anxiety disorders clinic. Results: EA and ER were strongly correlated, and each accounted for significant variance over and above model covariates. EA was a dominant risk factor for anxiety symptom severity, as ER was not a significant predictor (p =.073) following the inclusion of EA in the model (p =.006). Conclusions: EA appears to be a dominant risk factor, and ER a proxy risk factor, for anxiety symptom severity. EA may be an avenue for greater treatment specificity for those with anxiety symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) by proxy is the intentional destruction of one's own body tissue through the elicitation of another being's actions. Despite its clinical relevance, research on NSSI by proxy is limited and there are no available measures of this behavior. This research aimed to characterize NSSI by proxy among young adults and provide preliminary data on the validity of a new self-report measure, the NSSI by Proxy Questionnaire (NSSIBPQ). Two nationwide community samples of young adults (one general community sample and one with a history of traditional NSSI and suicidality) completed online studies. NSSI by proxy was reported by 18% of the general community sample and 45% of the self-injuring sample. Findings support the clinical relevance of NSSI by proxy and its potential to meet criteria for an NSSI disorder diagnosis. Results also provide preliminary support for the internal consistency and convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity of the NSSIBPQ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]